State Rebates On Refrigerators, Air Conditioners Now Available
BOSTON (CBS) - A new state rebate program is creating brisk sales on refrigerators and air conditioners.
All you have to do is buy a brand new one and trade in an old one.
Shoppers will get $150 back if they buy an Energy Star refrigerator and $50 back if they purchase an Energy Star air conditioner.
Read: Mass. Resident Appliance Rebate Guide
The program is a scaled-back version of one that was so popular when it was initially launched last year that funding was exhausted within 2-1/2 hours and a computer server crashed.
State officials say $2 million is available for this year's program, enough to fund about 20,000 rebates. Once the money is gone, the program is over.
WBZ-TV's Paul Burton reports
One key difference this year - you have to buy the appliance first before you can apply for the rebate.
Consumers must apply for the rebates online at Massenergyrebates.com or through a customer service center.
"The state of Massachusetts like every state wants to get the old pieces off the grid because they eat electricity compared to today's products," Mark Scheuren the sales manager at George Washington Toma Appliances in Weymouth, told WBZ NewsRadio 1030.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Kim Tunnicliffe reports
Podcast
"People want to get money from the state, because we give enough money to them, right?"
